(Apr. 29) – The House
passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Kerry Tipper and Rep. Yadira Caraveo that would
create a committee to disperse funds around the state to ensure a complete
count of all Coloradans across the state. The 2020 Census is underfunded
and behind schedule. The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk.

“I’m proud of the work
that went into this bill because it’s critical that we count every person in
Colorado, especially as our economy and population grows,” said Rep. Tipper, D-Lakewood. “Even a one
percent undercount could result in the state losing out on over $630 million in
transportation, healthcare and education funding.”

Valid census data is
tied to billions of dollars of federal funding allocations for Colorado. The
state is estimated to receive over $1,480 per person annually from the federal
government based on population numbers from the Census. Census dollars help
fund transportation (public transit, road rehabilitation and construction);
Head Start programs; Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Food Nutrition Service,
Health and human services programs, and more.

“The census determines
so much for Colorado, it impacts every level of government and our future and
this bill will help us compete for valuable federal dollars,” said Rep. Caraveo, D-Thornton. “There’s
billions of dollars at risk if we don’t get the count done right.”

HB19-1239 creates an
appointed bipartisan and diverse committee, administered by the Dept. of Local
Affairs, to award grants to nonprofits and local governments to ensure a
complete count across all of Colorado for the 2020 Census.

HB19-1239 passed in the
Senate by a vote of 20-14. It passed in the House by a vote of 40-24.